JUSTIN PIPE whitewashed Andy Jenkins — but was nearly left legless by a night on the lash!

The Taunton star only dropped two legs on the way to a 3-0 win over Rocky at the Alexandra Palace last night.

But a stray EYELASH went into Pipe’s eye during the match making him lose focus — quite literally.

Pipe, practice partner and pal of Gary Anderson, said afterwards: “It was weird I went to pieces when the lash went into my eye.

“It started watering up and I couldn’t focus.

“I then lost my focus on the game completely and I was rubbish for a few legs.

“At one stage I was worried I wouldn’t get another leg while I sorted myself out.

“But I did enough to get through and that’s all that matters. It doesn’t matter that my average was bad and I had a wobble. A W is a W… a win is a win.”

Pipe’s super-slow throw clearly affected former world championship semi-finalist Jenkins, who didn’t win a leg until the third set.

The Force’s throwing style is because of a serious car accident he suffered in 1993, where his right arm was paralysed for three months.

But Pipe showed all the character that saw him battle back from that injury in his demolition of Jenkins.

Despite letting Rocky back into the third set with two legs, Pipe regained his composure to round in off in straight sets. The former tree surgeon added: “My mental fitness still isn’t strong enough for the big stage. I’m getting there but I’m still relatively new to TV tournaments.

“It’s part of my game I need to work on but if I keep winning I get more experience and that’s all that I need to succeed.

“My form on the ProTour remains fairly consistent but it’s about time I made the big breakthrough in a TV event, I know it’s in me somewhere.”

Pipe hit 26 ton-plus scores but know he’ll have to up his game to progress further.

He plays either Mark Walsh or Darren Webster on Sunday, and added: “I can and will play better than that.

“I think I was affected by Andy playing so badly. I’m gutted for him because he is a better player than he showed. He’s thrashed me twice in our last two ProTour matches but I can up my game in the next one.”